


Simple as breathing

by furyofthephoenix



Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, F/M, Fluff, I Tried, Protective, Reader-Insert, This is probably bad, lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-07 07:17:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17361461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/furyofthephoenix/pseuds/furyofthephoenix
Summary: Reader gets an anxiety attack





	Simple as breathing

**Author's Note:**

> I really find this request quite interesting, so thank you, anon! I hope I can do this request justice while still making sure that Billy doesn’t become OOC. Fingers crossed.
> 
> Warning: Anxiety. Protective and fluffy.

[banditthewriter](banditthewriter.tumblr.com)

(Y/N) inspected herself in the mirror, her fingers ghosting over the silky material of her red halter dress which covered her cleavage and put her back on display. She could feel her heart thumping nervously in her chest and her stomach in knots.

She released her breath she had been holding, trying to settle her nerves.

She could feel his touch right before she saw him.

“You look beautiful,” Billy whispered against her neck, warming up the skin. His gaze met hers in the mirror as his palms caressed her waist from behind. As usual, he wore his tuxedo for this charity event he had to present his security firm for.

[blakelivey](blakelivey.tumblr.com)

His heated stare turned concerned. “What’s wrong? You seem tense.”

(Y/N) shook her head, displaying a strained smile, yet knowing she could never fool Billy. “I’ll be fine. Just nervous, I guess.”

“There’s nothing to worry about. I’ll be with you the whole time.”

She nodded, believing him, yet she was unable to shake the tenseness in her body.

* * *

_This was going to be a disaster._

When Billy said he was invited to a charity event which he wanted her to join at his side, she hadn’t considered what kind of affair it was going to be.

This was an auction.

And she was surrounded by a whole lot of people.

Her arm was entwined with Billy’s, giving her a small inkling of comfort by his warmth, yet…

This was really messing with her nerves.

And she felt really stupid for how she reacted but … there were just too many people around her. Crowding her, staring at her.

Billy briefly touched the pulse point on her wrist, catching her attention. “There’s someone I need to say hello to. Be right back.”

Before she could protest, his lips met her cheek in a soft kiss and then leaving her altogether.

Pulling in a few deep breaths, all these impressions of these people came back to her. It felt like she was underwater, and she was frozen with shock, not knowing in which direction to go.

(Y/N) fled through the masses and ventured into the bathroom, splashing some water onto her face. A glance at the mirror showed her red-faced appearance, her panting breath fogging up her duplicate staring back at her.

Dark spots were shining in front of her eyes, dulling her mind.

Feeling her body succumb to unconsciousness, she crouched to the ground, letting her legs touch the cool floor. Her back was supported by the bathroom sink.

A woman barely gave her a glance when she cleaned her hands, not caring what was going on.

Her face blushed even further, knowing that these were the attributes of a big city.

The door to the bathroom banged against the wall.

The woman gasped in shock. “How dare you-?”

(Y/N) barely saw the shiny black shoes standing in the doorway before Billy gritted through his teeth, “Out now,” feeling his stare on her while talking to the other woman.

[logandelos](logandelos.tumblr.com)

She could hear her scoff shortly before they were both left alone.

Hardly a second passed when Billy rushed to her side, kneeling down in front of her.

(Y/N) felt herself full-on hyperventilating when she felt his hand touching the side of her face. Stuttering, she looked up to see his worried gaze.

“What’s wrong?”

Gasping, she only offered between gasping breaths, “I … can’t … breathe.”

Her senses were all over the place as she felt the sensations of Billy’s fingertips stroking her cheeks.

[pocketfulofrye](pocketfulofrye.tumblr.com)

“Okay. Just breathe with me. Just in and out.”

After a few tries, she managed to achieve just that.

_In._

_Out._

_In._

_Out._

She could see clearly now as his anxious expression turned to one of relief. Billy released the breath he had been holding, closing his eyes with a stuttering sigh as he pulled her to his chest.

“See? Simple as breathing.”

(Y/N) let her palm touch his thumping heart beneath his chest, her other arm going around his back to hold him to her.

She barely noticed a tear leaving her eye, the over-exertion finally hitting her physically.

“I’m sorry,” (Y/N) stuttered, blinking several times. “The people. Everything was just too much. I tried, I really tried … but it hit me so hard. I’m sorry, Billy.”

Billy wrenched himself away, staring at her earnestly.

“Don’t ever apologize for something like this, (Y/N). This is not your fault.” His angry gaze (but not at her) turned anxious. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want you to worry. I know how much you wanted to be here.”

“I don’t care about any of that.” Billy waved to the spectacle happening outside, his meticulously primed hair moving. “I care about you. This ever happened to you before?”

(Y/N) nodded. “I get anxiety attacks sometimes. Around people, especially lots of masses.”

Billy thought about that a bit, before nodding. “The next time something like this happens, I want to know, alright?”

[banditthewriter](banditthewriter.tumblr.com)

Nodding, she looked down, finally able to breathe again.

“You want to get out of here?”

“More than anything.”


End file.
